You're the ONE I need
Twenty

Leandro's POV

He hadn't been sleeping since the day his wife went back to her place to know what had happened and why none of her family had tried to replace her. The next morning, he wanted to call her, but he didn't want to ruin her plan.

He would wait for her call instead.

He made himself busy by checking all his emails.

He never leaves his phone; if she calls, he can answer immediately.

From morning until evening, he was waiting for her call.

Too many things had been playing on his mind.

Maybe she's gone back to her fiancé.

He has no right to stop her if she decides to get back with her fiancé.

Maybe they are destined for each other, not with him.

He let out a deep breath. When his phone rang,

He takes it immediately, hoping that it's his wife.

But he's frustrated.

It's from his friend Jason.

"Hey! he answered, making his voice cheerful.

"How are you? You never call me after what happened to your wife. Any updates?" Jason asked.

He let out a sigh before he responded.

"She went back to her place yesterday. She wanted to investigate why no one was looking for her for eight months."

He could hear that his friend was in shock.

"How did that happen?? Does she have no family?" exclaimed Jason.

He knows that it is unbelievable that no one ever tried to replace her. When people lost their pets, they did everything to replace them.

Is that named Clarissa Lizbeth Llanes has no family? Because if she has, why has no one even bothered to replace her either?

"Are you still there?" asked Jason.

"Yes, I'm still here, just thinking why the woman with my wife's ring has no one bothered to replace her?" he voiced out what was in his mind.

"That's strange; people are instinctively inclined to replace their loved ones when they're missing, be it their things or pets. How much more if it's a family member or relative?" Jason added. "Exactly! We think the same," he agreed.

"We suspected that the person who had her ring is the one they claimed as her. She told me that before the incident, she let the other woman try her ring. When the cruise is sinking, she doesn't have any chance to get it back. I realize it when she just has her memory return; she shouts for a ring. As if she was asking for it," he continued.

"You mean it's mixed up," Jason said.

"Yes, and in the worst scenario, the woman I married is the dead one," he replied.

"That's terrifying, but you could annul that marriage because of the wrong information. You can ask your lawyer, "Jason suggested.

"I will, and I'll marry Lizzy-I mean Lorianne-for real this time," he said enthusiastically.

"That's good news. Is she back yet?" Jason asked, which made him sad.

"Not yet," he replied.

"Did you call her?" Jason asked.

"No. I don't want to ruin her plans. I know she has many things to do," he replied.

"You should call her to let her feel that you're with her. I can feel that she's a good woman," Jason suggested.

"Thank you. Okay, I'll call her," he said.

"You better, bye for now, and call your wife," Jason said, ending the call.

Jason is right; he should support his wife.

Why didn't he think of offering to accompany her?

He shouldn't let her go by herself.

How stupid he was.

He checks the time; it's only six in the evening.

Maybe she's resting now, he thought.

He dialed her number.

It rang, but she didn't pick up.

He redials it. Wait for a few seconds until the ringing ends.

But still Liz-Lorianne didn't pick up.

Okay, maybe she's in the bathroom.

He waits for five minutes and dials again.

But then she didn't pick up the phone.

Where is she?

Maybe he's right. She had already been back to her fiancé.

It hurts.

He closed his laptop and went upstairs.

He placed his laptop in its case.

He gets changed into his swimming trunks.

He will swim through his sadness.

When he reaches downstairs, Rudy is there putting some food on the table. It's in the container.

"Boss, here's your food. It's still hot. You better eat first," Rudy informed him.

"Thank you, Rudy. I will go swimming first. I will eat when I get back," he replied.

He grabbed a glass, put some ice in it, and grabbed a bottle of whiskey to take to the beach.

He didn't bring his phone; there was no way she would make an effort to call him.

She didn't even reply to his message yesterday.

He thought that she was different; yes, she was different in many ways.

She can tell that she's not materialistic.

Whatever he gave her, she accepted it all wholeheartedly.

He never heard her complain.

But all those traits were in the state where she didn't know herself at all.

Maybe now that she's back to herself, it shows her true color.

He drank the first glass of whiskey.

It's hot.

The burning sensation is stroking his throat.

The beach is bright because of the light Rudy put in the talisay tree.

He made his first lap, then the second, then the third, until he could feel his breath catching.

He lay flat on the sand watching some few stars.

His dream of giving her the dream wedding is not going to happen anymore.

His dream of bringing her to Italy would never come true.

He never felt this loneliness that he is experiencing right now in his previous relationship.

Even to his ex-unfaithful fiancée.

But right now, he cannot hold the pain in his heart anymore.

He will not pretend that he's fine because he is not.

He let his tears flow from his eyes.

He could not tell how long he'd stay there in that position.

After a while, he heard a voice speaking.

It's Rudy.

"Boss, are you okay? I went to the villa, but you were not there! You haven't eaten yet."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice the time. What time is it?" he asked.

"It's already nine in the evening," Rudy replied.

He remembered that he went out after he finished speaking with Jason. It's quarter past six.

"Thank you, Rudy. I will shake these sands first, then I'll go home," he said.

But he noticed Rudy didn't move.

He could sense that he was not going to leave him there.

So he got up and quickly shook off the sands in the water.